Automatic multiple paper-folding machine



June 21, 1955 J. F. MAUPIN 2,711,317

- AUTOMATIC MULTIPLE PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Maul 0671 A/UOAWE June 21, 1955 J. F. MAUPIN 2,711,317

' AUTOMATIC MULTIPLE PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE v Filed Feb. 21, 1951 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

James E lizu ch $424 wyzn June 21, 1955 J up v 2,711,317-

AUTOMATIC MULTIPLE PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1951 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

1/0/7795 E Mngmh June 21, 1955 J F, MAUPlN $711,317

AUTOMATIC MULTIPLE PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 4 sheets sheet 4 James E Mau z'n I United States Patent AUTOMATIC MULTIPLE PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE James F. Maupin, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of onethird to Arthur N. Klein, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 21, 1951, Serial No. 212,059 g 2 Claims. (Cl. 270-20) The present invention relates generally to paperfolding machines and it relates more particularly to machinery for automatically folding newspapers or the like, at high speed, as they come from the printing press.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful automatic paper-folding machine. Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic paper-folding machine which will fold newspapers and different newspapers or the like, side-by-side, without mixing or intermingling them.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description, ap pended claims and accompanying drawings.

Tabloid-size newspapers, i. e. newspapers which have been given the Metropolitan or half fold so that the page-sizeis half the regular newspaper pagesize, must be given an additional or quarter fold to be accepted for mailing. Such a quarter fold is also desirable for ease of handling and distribution of such tabloid-size newspapers and advertising pamphlets and the like as well as in the production of comic books, etc.

In order to do this, it has heretofore been necessary to transport the half-folded or tabloid-size newspapers to a hand folding machine 'into which the newspapers are then fed individually in a laborious and time-consuming operation, thereby adding substantially to the cost of the final product.

According to the present invention there has been developed, for the first time, a novel high-speed automatic paper-folding machine which will take the halffolded newspapers as fast as they are delivered by the printing press and will fold them accurately and dependably into quarter-size and which will, if desired, fold a that of Figure 4 but ICE . 'For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings oneform thereof 'which is presently preferred and which has been found in practice to give satisfactory results. Itis tobe understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the precise instrumentalities and arrangements illustrated and that the several structural elements can 'be variously arranged and organized, without-departing from the spirit .or essential attributes thereof.

1 Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like reference characters:

Figure l'is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. p

Figure 2 is a longitudinal verticalcross-sectional view taken generally along the line 2'2 of Figurel.

Figure ,3 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-sectional view taken generally along the'line 3-3 of' Figure 2.

Figure. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken ally along the line'4 4 of Figure 2. 'Fig'ure 5 is avertical cross-sectional view generally like showing a subsequent stage of generoper'ation. I i V Figure 6*.is a vertical cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 6--6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is'a more or less schematic perspective view of the folding-rolls and tucking-blades.

. Figure 8 is a perspective view generally like that of Figure 7 but showing asubsequent stageof operation.

One embodiment of the present invention, which" is showngenerally' in Figure 1, includes-a frame, indicated generally by' ther eference character' 20,formedofstruc- V tural steel orthe like and providinganelongated, generally rectangular, more orless open, supportingst ruc ture for the operating parts tobe' described hereinbelow;

plurality of different newspapers or the like simultaneously without mixing or intermingling.

Generally speaking, the novel paper-folding machine of the present invention includes two (or more) pairs of folding-rolls arranged in axially-spaced relationship with folding-rolls and to reach the second pair of folding-rolls. 7

Thus, the frarne 20 comprises vertical corner legs (preferably of L-shaped channel steel) 21,22, 23 and 24 dis posed, respectively, at the left-front, right-front, left-rear 'a'nd'right-rear thereof, generally horizontal, elongated front and rear channels 25' and 26, respectively, connecting the tops of the'ivertical legs, a left side channel 27 connecting the tops of the legs 21 and 23, and a flat, right side strip 28 connecting the tops of the'legs 22 and 24 Vertical center legs 29 and;30 are provided at the front and rearlrespectively; the legs 2124,; 29 and 30 being, bolted to thefloor, asindicated in Figure'2,to provide the rigidity necessary forhigh-speed operation.

A horizontal strip 31, generally T-shaped in cross section, extends between the front and rear channels-25 and 26, generally inline withthe center legs 29 'and 30, whilean L-shaped horizontal channel 32 extends'betwe'en the'channels 25 and 26 slightly inward of the right side strip 28; the channel 27, the'strip 31 and the channel all.

being disposed in the same horizontal plane. Left, right and center channels 33, 34 and '35, respectively, extend between the legs 21 and 23, 22 and 24, and 29 and 30,

in the same horizontal plane, substantially below 'thetop of the frame 20.

A pair of horizontal pressure rolls 36Tand 37 are dis posed intermediate and parallel to the channels 25and 26; the ends ofthe roll 36 being journalled within bearingbloc'ks Y 38 and 39 mounted on the channel 27 and the strip 31' respectively, and the ends of the roll'37 being journalled within bearing-blocks'40 and 4 1 also mounted on the channel 27 'andthe strip 31 and spring-urged towardthe blocks 38 and 39, so as to maintain the roll 37 in contact with the roll 36 in a manner conventional inthe art. V I

A second pair'of horizontal pressure rolls 42 and. 43 are disposed in spaced axial alignment with the rolls 36 and 37; thc'cnds ofthe roll 42 being journalled within bearing-blocks 44 and 45 mounted on the strip 31 and the channel- 32 respectively," and'the' ends of the roll 43 the rear edge of the frame and journalled Within bearing- 1 blocks 54, 55 and 56 mounted on top of the channels 33, 34 and respectively, as shown particularly in Figure 2.

The ends of the rolls 4-2 and 43 are likewise provided with meshing gear-wheels 57 and 58 adjacent the bearingblocks 35 and 4'7, the roll 43 also being provided with a sprocket-wheel 59 over which passes sprocket-chain 69 which also passes over a larger sprocketrwheel 61 keyed to the shaft 53.

The left end of the shaft 53 is provided with a crowngear 62 which, as shown particularly in Figure 3, meshes with a crown-gear 163 mounted on a shaft 164 journalled within bearing-blocks 165 and 166 attached to the legs 21 and 23 respectively. The shaft 164 carries a sprocketwneel 167 over which passes a sprocket-chain 168 which also passes over a sprocket-wheel 169 mounted on a shaft 170 iournalled on a printing-press. The shaft 176, in turn, is connected to the drive (not shown) of the printingpress so that the speed of the folding rolls is synchronized with the speed of the press.

Optionally, the center ends of the rolls 36 and 42 can be connected together through an oversize opening (not shown) in the T-shaped strip 31, In such case, the bearing-block 44 and the sprocket-wheels and 52, and sprocket-chain 51 can be eliminated; the sprocket-chain driving all the folding rolls.

A downwardly-directed tucking-blade 63 is supported above the folding rolls 36 and 37 by a pair of curved, more or less semi-circular arms 64 and 65 which are connected, at their other ends, to a shaft 66 journalled on bearing-blocks 67 and 68 mounted on top of the rear channel 26, as shown particularly in Figures 1, 4 and 5. A crank-arm 69 is fastened at its upper end 70 to the shaft 66 intermediate the arms 64 and 65. The lower end of the crank-arm 69 is provided with a cam-follower 71 operatively disposed within the groove 72 of a cam disc 73 mounted on the shaft 53, as indicated in Figure 4. It is apparent that, as the shaft 53 and cam disc 73 rotate, the lower end of the crank-arm oscillates, moving downward from the position shown in Figure 4 to that shown in Figure 5 each time the cam-follower enters the straight portion 72-a of the cam groove 72 and moving back upward to the position shown in Figure 4 when the camfollower re-enters the main circular portion of the cam groove. This movement of the crank-arm 69 causes corresponding oscillatory rotation of the shaft 66 and vertical oscillation of the tucking-blade 63 between the elevated position shown in Figure 4 to the lowered position shown in Figure 5 wherein it is closely adjacent the line of contact of the folding rolls 36 and 37. A spring 74 urges the crank-arm 69 and the tucking-blade 63 downward and maintains the cam-follower 71 firmly against the inner peripheral wall of the cam groove to ensure smooth operation.

A second downwardlydirected tucking-blade 75 is supported above the folding rolls 42 and 43 by a pair of curved, more or less semi-circular arms 76 and 77 which are connected, at their other ends, to a shaft 78 journalled on bearing-blocks 79 and 80 mounted on top of the rear channel 26, as shown particularly in Figures 1 and 6. A crank-arm 81, identical with the crank-arm 69, connects the shaft 73 to a second cam-disc 82, identical with the cam-disc 73, also mounted on the shaft 53. The cam-discs 73 and 82 are slightly circumferentially displaced relative to each other so that up and down oscillation of the tucking blades 63 and 75 takes place at "3 slightly different times during rotation of the shaft 53. The crank-arm 81 is provided with a spring 83, similar to the spring 74, to ensure smooth operation.

A shaft 84 has its ends journalled within bearing-blocks 8S and 86 set on spacer-blocks 87 and 83 mounted on top of the front and rear channels 25 and 26 intermediate the two pairs of folding rolls so that the shaft 84 extends transversely of the frame appreciably the level of the rolls, as indicated particularly in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6. An L-shaped stop-finger 89 is mounted on a collar 9'19 keyed to the shaft 84; the downwardly-extending portion 91 of the stop-finger being disposed generally adjacent the ends of he folding rolls 36 and 37. The horizontally-extending portion 92 of the stop-finger is slotted so that, by loosening the fastening-nut 93, the position of the downwardly-extending portion 91 can be adiusted axially relative to the folding rolls 36 and 37. A connecting link 94 is keyed to the shaft 84 and extends therefrom to adjacent the tucking-blade 63; the link-having a shoulder 95 which overlies the upper edge 96 of the blade 63. A spring 97 is fastened at one end to the shaft 84 and at the other end to the front channel 25 and tends to rotate the shaft so that the shoulder 95 rests against the edge 96 of the blade 63.

A second stop-finger S9 is mounted on the shaft 84 on the opposite side of the connecting'link 94. As indicated in Figures 1 and 4, when the tucking-blade 63 is raised, it lifts the connecting link 94 and the stop-fingers 89 so that the lower ends of the downwardly-extending portions are somewhat above the level of the rolls 36 and 37. However, when the tucking-blade 63 is lowered, the shaft 84 is rotated by the spring 97 to lower the eonnecting link 94 and the stop-fingers 89 to the position shown in Figure 5, wherein the lower ends of the downwardly-extending portions 91 are slightly below the tops of the rolls 36 and 37, on either side thereof.

A shaft 98 is journalled in bearing-blocks 99 and 100 mounted upon, and extending upward somewhat from, the vertical side of the L-shaped channel 32; the shaft extending horizontally at a level slightly above the tops of the folding rolls. Another shaft 101 is journalled in bearing-blocks 102 and 103 mounted on top of the front and rear channels 25 and 26; the shaft 101 extending horizontally slightly to the left of and somewhat higher than the shaft 98.

A rod 104 extends horizontally intermediate the upper ends of the bearing-blocks 99 and 100 at a level somewhat higher than the shaft 101. A pair of fixed L-shaped stop-fingers 105 are mounted on the rod 104 with their downwardly-extending portions 106 terminating slightly below the level of, and on either side of the tops of the folding rolls 42 and 43. The horizontal portions 107 of the stop-fingers 105 are slotted so that, by loosening the fastening nuts 108, the stop-fingers can be adjusted axially relative to the folding-rolls.

Endless delivery tapes 109 and 110 pass around the shaft 93 to the front and rear, respectively of the folding rolls; the tapes being maintained in spaced relationship by pairs of collars 111 mounted on the shaft on either side of each tape.

Endless retaining tapes 112 and 113 pass around the shaft 101 directly above the tapes 109 and 110 respectively.

The tapes 109110 and 112-113 are intended to deliver newspapers or the like to the folding-rolls from a printing-press 114 in a manner to be described hereinbelow.

The printing-press 114 may be of conventional construction, as for example a 4-deck, single-width Goss Straight-Line Press No. 387, manufactured by the Goss Printing Press Co. of Chicago, ill. As shown schematically in Figure 2, the printing-press 114 includes a former 115 over which the news-print passes in customary manner; a slitter 116 making a continuous center slit as the news-print passes downward over the former. From the politan or half fold which is completed by left and right folding rollers 120 and 121, disposed directly below.

The tapes 109 and 111 pass beneath the roller 121 and around the roller 12% while the tapes 112 and 113 pass around the roller 121. The roller 120 rotates'clockwise (in Fig. 2) while the roller 121' rotates counterclockwise. In this Way, the delivery run (to the left in Fig. 2) of each of the tapes 109 110 and 112113 is in juxtaposition to that of its cooperating tape; the

return run of the tapes 109110 being lowermost and the return run of the tapes 112-113 being uppermost. Preferably, the folding rollers 120 and 121 are each formed as a plurality of short, aligned axially-spaced rolls with crown pulleys therebetween to receive the tapes.

It is apparent that, as the half-folded papers pass between the rollers 120 and 121, they are caught intermediate the delivery runs of the tapes 109-410 and 112113 and carried generally horizontally and to the right (in Fig. 2), somewhat above the level of the folding-rolls 36 and 37.

The tucking-blade 63 is synchronized so that it comes down as each second paper is carried into position above the rolls 36 and 37 and is in elevated position for the alternate papers. As mentioned above, lowering of the tucking-blade also lowers the stop-fingers 89 so that they prevent the paper from passing beyond the rolls 36 and 37. Thus, the retained paper is forced between the rolls 36 and 37 by the tucking-blade 63 and thereby given a quarter-fold (at right-angles to the half-fold). The remaining papers (i. e. those which pass beyond the stopfingers 39 while they are in elevated position) are carried along by the tapes until they strike the stop-fingers 1155 which halt them above the folding-rolls 42 and 43 whereupon they are forced down by the tucking-blade 75, and between the folding-rolls 42 and 43 and are thereby given a quarter-fold.

In other words, half of the papers are quarter-folded by the blade 63 and rolls 3637 while the remaining half are quarter-folded by the blade 75 and rolls 42-43.

Obviously, an additional pair (or pairs) of folding rolls provided with a tucking-blade and movable stopfingers could be added and the cam synchronized so that a third (or other proportionate share) of the papers would be folded by each pair of blades.

Figure 7 shows schematically that stage of operation, described above wherein the tucking-blade 63 and stopfingers 89 are elevated and the first paper has passed somewhat therebeyond while the second paper has not yet reached the folding-rolls 36 and 37. Figure 8 shows a slightly later stage of operation, wherein the first paper has already been stopped by the stop-fingers 105 and been forced partly down between the folding-rolls 42 and 43, while the second paper has just been stopped by the lowered stop-fingers 89 but has not yet been contacted by the tucking-blade 63, which has just started to descend.

I prefer to provide means for removing the quarterfolded newspapers as they drop from beneath the foldingrolls 3637 and 42-43. To this end, a horizontal shaft 122 is rotatably mounted intermediate bearing-blocks 123 and 124 carried by the left and right lower side channels 33 and 34 respectively. The shaft 122 is driven from the shaft 53; the shaft 122 being provided with a relatively large sprocket-wheel 125 and the shaft 53 being provided with a somewhat smaller sprocket-wheel 126, the sprocketwheels 12S and 126 being connected by a sprocketchain 127.

The shaft 122, which, as shown particularly in Figures 4 and 5, is generally in vertical alignment with the folding-rolls 37 and 43, is provided with left and right pairs of hubs 128 disposed respectively below the folding-rolls 3637 and 42-43; Each hub 128 is provided with a pair of diametrically-opposed arcuate flying-fingers 129, which, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5, are adapted to receive the quarter-folded newspapers as they drop from the folding-rolls 3637 and 4243. v

The rotating flying-fingers 129 deposit the newspapers upon tapes 130 which carry them upward and forward to a position from which they can be removed manually or by a conveyor-belt (not shown). The tapes 130 pass 7 around a driving-roll 131 whose ends are journalled within arms 132 and 133' extending downward fromthe left and right lower side channels 33 and 34 respectively. The driving-roll 131 is rotated from the shaft 122 by a sprocket-chain 134 which connects sprocket-wheels 135 and 136 mounted on the roll 131 and shaft 122 respectively. The upper ends of the tapes 130 pass around idler-pulleys 137 mounted on a horizontal shaft 138 supported upon a frame-extension 139. The tapes are kept taut by take-up rolls 140 carried by arms 141 pivotally supported at their upper ends 142 from the frameextension 139. r v

Since the folding-rolls and tucking-blades are driven from, and synchronized with, the printing-press, it is apparentthat the novel paper-folding machine of the present invention will keep pace with the printing-press, regardless of the speed atwhich the latter is operated. Employing the novel machine of the present invention, it is possible to quarter-fold 15,000 or more'newspapers or the like per hour.

Inasmuch as the printing-press can be operated so as to print two separate and distinct newspapersor sections at the same time (the two being delivered by the press alternately), it can be seen that the novel folding-machine of the present invention will quarter-fold and simultaneously segregate them; one paperor'sectioh being folded by the folding-rolls 3 6-37 and the other by the folding-rolls 4243, without any chance of intermingling.

The present invention may be embodied in variousother forms and accordingly, the foregoing embodiment is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims as indicating the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a paper-folding machine, apair of folding-rolls, a tucking-blade constructed and arranged to be recipro cated toward and away from said pair of folding-rolls, a

second pair of folding-rolls disposed generally in axial alignment with and spaced somewhat from the first pair, a second tucking blade constructed and'arranged to be reciprocated toward and away from said second pair of shaft and extending forwardly therefrom-with its other end connected to the first tucking-blade whereby movement of the first tucking-blade away from the first pair of folding-rolls causes rotation of the transverse shaft and tilting of the free'end of'the stop-finger out of the plane of the transported newspaperswhile movement of the" first tucking-blade toward the first pair of folding-rolls causes opposite rotation of the shaft and tilting of the free end of the stopfinger back into the plane of the transported newspapers, the stop-fingers operating to stop alternate newspapers at the first pair of folding-rolls in position to be forced therebetween by the first tucking- 1 blade while permitting the remaining newspapers to be carried to the second pair of folding rolls.

2. For use with a printing-press or the like, an automatic multiple paper-folding machine comprising a frame, a pair of horizontal cooperating folding-rolls rotatably mounted upon said frame and extending generally longitudinally thereof, a second pair of folding-rolls rotatably mounted upon said frame in horizontally spaced axial alignment with the first pair of folding-rolls, a tuckingblade mounted upon said frame above the first pair of folding-rolls and vertically reciprocable toward and away from said first pair of folding-rolls, a second tuckingblade mounted upon said frame above the second pair of folding-rolls and vertically reeiprocable toward and away from said second pair of folding-rolls, a drive shaft mounted upon said frame and constructed and arranged to be driven from the printing-press synchronously with the speed thereof, connecting-means intermediate said drive shaft and said pairs of folding-rolls whereby said pairs of folding-rolls are rotated from said drive shaft, l"

cam-mechanism connecting each of said tucking-blades with said drive shaft whereby said tucking-blades are reciprocated from said drive shaft, a pair of endless delivery tapes extending generally horizontally across said frame slightly above said pairs of folding-rolls, said delivery tapes being connected to the printing-press and being constructed and arranged to receive newspapers or the like from the printing-press and to transport them in a generally horizontal plane intermediate the folding-rolls and the tucking-blades, a rotatable shaft extending transversely of the frame longitudinally intermediate the two pairs of folding-rolls and above the delivery tapes, a pair of generally L-snaped stop-fingers tangentially mounted at one end upon said transverse shaft, the free end of each stop-finger extending downwardly generally at the trailing edge of the first pair of folding-rolls, and a connecting link mounted at one end on said transverse shaft and extending forwardly therefrom with its other end connected to the first tucking-blade, whereby reciprocation of the first t ucking-blade causes oscillating rotation of said shaft and corresponding reciprocatory tilting of the stop-fingers, the free ends of the stop-fingers being moved alternately downward into and upward out of the plane of the transported newspapers thereby to stop alternate newspapers at the first pair of folding rolls in position to be forced therebetween by the first tucking-blade while permitting the remaining newspapers to be carried to the second pair of folding-rolls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 197,693 Tucker Nov. 27, 1877 204,772 Spalckhaver June 11, 1878 293,120 Tucker Feb. 5, 1884 1,655,672 Aldrich Jan. 10, 1928 2,238,010 Brernan Apr. 8, 1941 

